LJ FB: Moises leads the way

The Vikings' defense, with the entire crowd standing,
holds forth in the last two nerve-wracking
minutes of La Jolla's 17-7 CIF title win.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Junior Moises Hernandez, part of the "Syndicate of Pain" in the La Jolla defense, helped set the tone with a one-armed grab of Scripps Ranch quarterback Luke Durkin early in the Division 3 final Sat., Nov. 30.

Hernandez, a 5'11", 175-pounder, got loose in the Falcons' backfield on their fifth play from scrimmage, latching onto Durkin with one outstretched hand.

He wouldn't let go, and ended up flinging the QB down to the Devore Stadium turf for a 10-yard loss.

It was a graphic display of the vast growth that Hernandez, as well as several of his striving teammates, has made over the course of the 2019 season.

In game five, Moises doesn't make that play.

Now, with confidence, two and a half months more of honing his skills, and growing his body, the defensive end can make that play with authority, under intense playoff conditions.

Scripps Ranch had a 3rd-and-10 on its own 42, and with the sack, was forced to punt the ball away.

This was on the Falcons' first possession, with less than eight minutes gone in the initial quarter. Winners of a 17-7 decision over the Vikings at their place on Sept. 20, they were given a taste of the different La Jolla squad they were now facing--and what was to come.

On Scripps' next possession, only two minutes later after a bad snap led to a fumble recovery by the Falcons' defense, Moises was back at it again.

On 1st-and-20, after a penalty pushed Scripps back 10 yards, Hernandez leaped in the air as he rushed forward on a bad snap, this time by the Falcons. It was an athletic play, and it reminded one of a video game, the way Hernandez launched and covered a lot of air and ground to secure the fumble.

La Jolla took over on the Scripps Ranch 29, and on its third play opened the game's scoring on Jackson Stratton's 31-yard touchdown pass to Makai Smith.

It was a result of Hernandez's aggressive, team-inspiring fumble recovery.

The junior wasn't done for the afternoon. He later hit Durkin from behind as the Falcon QB was throwing. The result, with 1:07 left in the game, La Jolla leading 17-10, was the ballgame being put on ice. Stratton led a victory formation twice, and the CIF championship was the Vikings'.